Press Release

Six finalists placed on 2010 Players Choice Awards ballots for league-wide player voting

MLBPA Press Release

NEW YORK -- Thousands of baseball fans participated in an Internet poll on www.MLBPLAYERS.com between Sept. 8 and 12, to determine which six players, one from each division, inspire others to higher levels of achievement by their on-field performances and contributions to their communities. From this list of 30 players, Jorge Posada (New York Yankees) was tabbed to represent the AL East, Brandon Inge (Detroit Tigers) the AL Central, Torii Hunter (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) the AL West, Chipper Jones (Atlanta Braves) the NL East, Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) the NL Central and Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies) the NL West.

These six players will have their names placed on the 2010 Players Choice Awards ballot to determine this season's Marvin Miller Man of the Year award winner. Ballots will be distributed to all Major League players on Tuesday, Sept. 14, and Wednesday, Sept. 15, when the accounting firm of KPMG conducts the league-wide, players-only voting for the 2010 Players Choice Awards. [Note: Boston @ Seattle; Washington @ Atlanta; Milwaukee @ Houston and San Diego @ Colorado will vote on Tuesday, Sept. 14; all other teams will vote on Wednesday, Sept. 15.]

The 2010 Players Choice Awards also honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher and comeback player in each league, as well as the overall Player of the Year. 2010 Players Choice Award winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. Since 1992, the Players Trust has recognized the outstanding on-field and off-field performances of Players Choice Awards winners by contributing $3 million to charities around the world.

Curtis Granderson, then with the Detroit Tigers, was the recipient of the 2009 Man of the Year Award. Past winners of the award, named for the legendary baseball union leader, also include this year's finalists, Hunter and Pujols, as well as Michael Young, Mike Sweeney, Jim Thome, John Smoltz, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Eric Davis and Paul Molitor.

2010 Players Choice Marvin Miller Man of the Year Divisional Winners

American League EastNew York Yankees  Jorge Posada: When his son, Jorge Luis, was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a congenital birth defect characterized by the premature closure of the bones in the skull, Jorge Posada and his wife, Laura, were inspired to create The Jorge Posada Foundation. Posada's signature Heroes for Hope gala, Cinco Anillos brand sangria and annual craniosynostosis 5K walk promote awareness, channel funding for medical centers and provide emotional support for families affected by the condition.

American League Central Detroit Tigers  Brandon Inge: Brandon Inge is a champion for the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. In addition to donating $100,000, Inge frequently visits C.S. Mott and other local hospitals to form lasting bonds with children and their families as part of the Tigers Dreams Come True program. Inge often invites the children he's visited to watch Tigers games in his Comerica Park suite and wears special bracelets and wristbands on the field to show his support. Inge also serves as a spokesperson for the MLB Father's Day program to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

American League WestLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim  Torii Hunter: Torii Hunter, the 2007 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award winner, is passionate about baseball, both in playing the game and in sharing it with those less fortunate. To help spread his passion to others, Hunter created the Torii Hunter Project, which partners with the Little League Urban Initiative to stop the disappearance of baseball diamonds from America's inner cities. Additionally, he has devoted his time and contributed funds to support organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Athletes in Action.

National League EastAtlanta Braves  Chipper Jones: Touched early in his career by the experience of a young boy with cystic fibrosis, Chipper Jones has long been a supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Jones serves as the chair of the Georgia chapter's 65 Roses Sports Committee and the Bridges to a Cure campaign, hosts children with cystic fibrosis at Turner Field and frequently visits local hospitals. To date, he has contributed more than $250,000 toward finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. In addition, the Chipper Jones Family Foundation supports the Boys & Girls Club, the Florida and Georgia Sheriff's Youth Ranches and Homes, the Atlanta Braves Community Affairs program and local Little League programs.

National League CentralSt. Louis Cardinals  Albert Pujols: Winner of the 2006 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, Albert and his wife, Deidre, are the founders of the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to the love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and their families. Pujols hosts an annual charity golf tournament as well as a live auction to raise money for the foundation. The Pujols family dedicates their time not only to those with Down syndrome, but also to the impoverished children and orphans of the Dominican Republic by donating time and money to better the children's education.

National League West Colorado Rockies  Troy Tulowitzki: Recognized by his teammates as "the heart and soul of the Rockies," Troy Tulowitzki is a leader by example both on and off the field. "Tulo" welcomes terminally-ill children to batting practice sessions as part of the Rockies Care and Share program and is a national spokesperson for the Play Sun Smart program, where he promotes the importance of skin cancer prevention for the American Academy of Dermatology. This season the Coors Field fan favorite is growing a mullet as part of the Wins for Kids program and promoting "bad hair for a good cause" to encourage donations benefitting The Children's Hospital and the Special Olympics.

The following players were nominated by their teammates for the 2010 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award:

The Major League Baseball Players Association (http://www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.